1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gear mechanism attached to a motor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gear mechanism comprising a planet gear with a flange and ring gear which allows a reliable and clearance-free connection of the flange and adjacent ring gear.
2. Description of the Related Art
A planet gear usually comprises several planetary wheel carriers. The planetary wheel carriers are arranged with their central rotation axis on a rotation axis which extends in the axial direction from a motor pinion through the planet gear to an output side. The planetary wheel carriers present, with axis parallel to the rotation axis, several planetary wheel shafts, on which in each case a planetary wheel is attached. The dimensioning of the components is chosen here in such a way that the planetary wheels engage with their toothed ring in the motor pinion. In addition, the planetary wheels engage with their toothed rings radially on the outside in a ring gear toothed ring of a ring gear which surrounds the arrangement. One or more such ring gears are here designed as a gear housing, in accordance with a generally known design for planet gears. Usually, the planetary wheel carriers present, on the side facing the planetary wheels, a sun gear that extends along the axial direction, and in turn engages in the planetary wheels of a subsequent planetary wheel carrier. The last planetary wheel carrier of such an arrangement is firmly connected to an output shaft.
To connect such a planet gear with a gear component that is coupled to it, such as, a motor on one side, and additional gear components on the other side, a flange is arranged in the axial direction on both sides of the gear housing. In a design with fixed ring gear, the connection of the flange and of one or more ring gears can be achieved in a simple way by leading axis-parallel bores in their peripheral area through them, where, for the attachment, a screw or bolt is led through these axis-parallel bores.
An embodiment is also known in which the ring gears presenting the interior-side toothed ring is positioned with the flanges by means of a radial screw connection, and secured. Additional securing against unscrewing is provided in part by means of microencapsulated, coated screws. A clearance-free connection of the ring gears to the flanges is achieved also by means of a screw connection which is axis-parallel to the rotation axis. To prevent twisting between the ring gear and the flange, the latter are held additionally by means of a spline.
What is not appreciated by the prior art, however, is the need for an improved space-saving gear mechanism, particularly a planet gear, which allows nonetheless a reliable and clearance-free connection of the flange and an adjacent ring gear. In particular, the noise behavior of the planet gear is to be improved.